ng, curious, cruel throng, barbarous
with that barbarity of the populace which in all countries sees with
glee a bull die, a wrestler drop, a malefactor ascend the scaffold, or a
rat scour the streets soaked in petroleum and burning alive. The dead
man had been nothing to them, and his wife had done none of them any
harm, yet there was not a man or a woman, a youth or a girl, in the
crowd, who would not have felt that he or she was defrauded of his
entertainment if she were acquitted by her judges, although yet there
was a general sense among them that she had done no more than had been
natural, and no more than had been her right.

The dark, slender, emaciated figure of the priest glided through their
excited and boisterous groups; the air had the heat of summer, the sky
above was blue and cloudless, the brown brick walls of the church and
palace seemed baking in the light of the sun. In the corner of the
square was a fountain, relic of the old times when the town had been a
place of pageantry and power,--beautiful pale-green water, cold and
fresh, leaping and flowing around marble dolphins. Gesualdo stooped and
drank thirstily, as though he would never cease to drink, then went on
his way and pushed aside the leathern curtain of the church door and
entered into the coolness and solitude of that place of refuge.

There he stretched himself before the cross in prayer, and wept bitter,
burning, unavailing tears for the burden which he bore of another's sin,
and for his own helplessness beneath it, which seemed to him like a
greater crime.

But even at the very altar of his God peace was denied him. Hurried,
loud, impetuous steps from heavy boots fell on the old, worn, marble
floor of the church, and Falko Melegari strode up behind him and laid a
heavy hand upon his shoulders. The young man's face was deeply flushed,
his eyes were savage, his breath was quick and uneven: he had no heed
for the sanctity of the place or of his companion.

"Get up and hear me," he said, roughly. "They all say the verdict will
be against her: you heard them."

Gesualdo made a gesture of assent.

"Very well, then," said the steward, through his clinched teeth. "If it
be so indeed, I swear, as you and I live, that I will denounce you to
the judges in her stead."

Gesualdo did not speak. He stood in a meditative attitude, with his arms
folded on his chest. He did not express either surprise or indignation.

"I will denounce you," repeat